Snap-switch.



S. KORE. SNAP SWITCH. APPLIOATION FILED mm: a. 1910.

Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

STATES ian SAMUEL KORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WI-KO ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

snsr-swrrcn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

Application filed June 6, 1910. Serial No. 565,394.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, SAMUEL Konr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Snap-Switches, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to electric snap switches and its object is to provide a device of this kind of an exceedingly simple construction that can be manufactured at a very low-cost, is particularly adapted to a pullchain operating mechanism and will operate without arcing and yet at a minimum expense of construction in respect to insulating material.

To these ends my invention is embodied in the device hereinafter described and illustratcd in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is an exterior view in elevation showing the device applied to an incandescent electric lamp; Fig. 2, a horizontal section; Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line a-a of Fig. 2 and through the upper )lug member; Fig. 4, a view on line b-b 0 Fig. 2 'ith part of the plug Wall cut away; Fig. 5, a section on the line c-c of Fig. 2, and Figs. (3 and 7, details of the pull chain guide sleeve.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is an exterior metallic inclosing shell. Within this shell is fitted a two part plug preferably of porcelain and adapted to support the mechanism of the switch. These plug members 2 and 3 are adapted to fit together and inclosc the switch mechanism. The member 2 is cupshapcd. having an outer raised circumferential wall and is adapted to receive the parts of the switch. To the plug .2 is attached a lamp socket. member 4 by means of screws 5 and (3. One of these screws 5 passes up through the socket. member and through an arm 7 of a metallic post 8, which receives a binding screw 9 which is adapted to receive one of the terminal wires of thecircuit. The other screw passes through the socket member and into the insulating body of the plug member 2, being held in place by a nut -1(). A second binding post '12 is mounted in the plug member 2 by means of a screw 13 which is insulated from the socket member and which post has a binding screw 14 adapted to receive the other terminal. A contact strip 15' is connected to an arm 16 of the post 12.

Adapted to electrically connect with the lamp or other object to which current is to be supplied is a spring conductor bar 16, extending within the socket IIlGll'lbQl and having a short arm projecting through the plug member 2 and secured to a connecting screw 17. To the screw 17 is attached a metallic spring contact strip 18. This contact member has a bent contact arm 1!), extending in an arc of a circle partly around and within the circumferential wall of the member 2. The spring action of this arm 19 tends to normally press it down into contact with the contact strip 15, and these contacts are held in engagement by such spring pressure to close the circuit and the circuit is broken by raising the arm 19 from contact with the member 15 by the means to be now described.

Mounted on a central screw pin 20 secured in the plug member 2 is a ratchet wheel 21 made of suitable insulating material. This wheel is provided below the ratchet teeth 22,

arms or teeth 23 also of insulating material. One of these tripping teeth is provided for each alternate ratchet tooth of the wheel. The tripping teeth 23 are inclined upward from their front edges and are adapted to successively pass under and lift the spring contact arm 19 from engagement with the contact 15. An inclined lip 24 is formed on the edge of the arm 19 near its free end to facilitate the engagement of the tripping teeth with said arm 19.

The contact strip 18 is provided with an arm 25 extending oppositely to the arm 19 and from this arm 25, rises a spring dctcnt arm 26 which projects into the path of the ratchet teeth and is adapted to prevent the ratchet wheel from turning lmcltwardl v.

Mounted on the central screw pin 20 is an oscillatory ratchet member 2?, to which is pivoted a ratchet pawl 28 adapted to engage and turn the ratchet wheel. A spiral spring 29 is mounted on the central post and has one end bearing against the same and the other end bearing against the ratchet pawl, so as to thereby hold the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel and also hold the pawl and pawl carrying member norn'ially in retracted position. An arm 30 of the )awla\rrying member extends radially outward over the edge of the wall of the member 2 and is adapted to move between and be limited by abutment blocks 31 rising from said wall. Another arm 32 of the pawl-carrying member carries at its end 'with a series of radially projecting trip" 37 through which the pull chain passes and a slot38 near one end. At the inner end of release of the chain the spring will carry the guide sleeve is 'a plate 39 having at one end-a lug 40 joined by an inclined ofi'set shoulder 41 to the plate and adapted to en- 'ter the slot 38. At the other end of the plate '39 is an inwardly bent spring lip adapted to take over the edge of the plate 38 and thus hold the sleeve detachably in position by spring action.

To operate the device, assuming the spring arm 19' to be pressed down into engagement with the contact member 15 the circuit will be established throu h the bind ing posts, the contacts, the soc ret member and the conductor bar and the lamp. Upon a pull on the operating chain, the pawlcarrying member will be turned swinging its stop-arm between the limiting abutment blocks and the ratchet pawl will turn the ratchet wheel, carrying one of the inclined tripping teeth under the contact arm 19 and raising the latter from the contact 15 and thus breaking the circuit. Upon the the ratchet pawl and its carrying member back into retracted position. Upon another pull on the chain the trip tooth will be carried past the contact arm 15) and the latter will spring down into contact with the member 15 rest'ablishing the circuit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with an incandescent lamp socket, circular plug members conforming thereto, an electric snap switch mounted in said plug members and having a contact member, a second spring contact member normally pressed toward the first member, said contact members extending substantially in horizontal planes, :1 rotat ing contact-interrupting member movable in a horizontal plane and at right angles to the spring movement of the spring contact member and having radial projecting means adapted to successively remove said spring contact member from closing position and release it, and means for operating said interrupt-ing member.

2. An electric snap switch having a spring contact member, a second contact spring contact member, a horizontal ratchet wheel, inclined teeth carried by said Wheel at each alternate ratchet tooth, and projecting into line with said spring contact member, ratchet means for turning said wheel,

a spring for retracting said means, a pull chain for turning said ratchet means and detent means to prevent the reverse movement of said wheel.

4. An electric snap switch having a fixed contact member, a movable downwardly pressing spring contact member, a horizontally disposed ratchet Wheel of non-conducting material, said wheel having a projecting trip tooth at each alternate ratchet tooth of the wheel and movable under and against said spring contact member to raise the same, a'n actuating ratchet pawl, an oscillatory horizontal pawl-carrying member, a

I spring to retract said carrying member, a

pull chain engaging said carrying member and means to limit the movement of said carrying member.

5. An electric snap switch having a fixed contact'member, a member having at one end a spring contact arm and at the other end a spring detent arm, a rotatable ratchet wheel, engaged by said detent,a ratchet pawl for turning said wheel, an oscillatory pawl-carrying member, a spring for retract ing said pawl and carrying member and means for operating the same in the other direction.

6. An electric snap switch having make and break contact means, a rotatable contact controller, a spring for moving the controller in one direction, a pull chain for moving it in the other direction, a guide sleeve for said pull chain, a supporting plug for said sleeve, a slotted member carried by said plug, a plate carried by said sleeve and having a lug near one end to engage the slot of said member and having a spring lip at the edge of the opposite end to engage the edge of said member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL KORF. Witnesses:

Jos. H. BLACKWOOD, M. E. Jones, Jr. 

